Chime clock



Aug. 28, 1923.

F. WEHINGER CHIME CLOCK Filed Dec. 2. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Xml F. vWEHiNGER CHIIME CLCK Aug.4 28, 1923.

Filed DeCfZ, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. Y28, 19723K.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT i OFFICE;

FREDERICI WEHINGER, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB/ TO WATERBUBY.)

CLOCKY C0., OF WATERBURY,lCONNECI?ICUT,` A CORPORATION. v

v. CHIM CLOCK.

Apncatio inea 'December oi' referente' markedjthcreomtofbe a full,

clear,` and exact description of the'same, land which said drawings constitute part of this application and represent, i114-- v rFig-1 a let-handedge view of one vform whichk a chime clock embodying' my invention may assume, the-tim'etrainpbeing enf tirelyoniittedfor the salte of clarity, with the exception ot' the center arbor, on which.

is mounted the star-Wheel employed for the periodicV ,release `of the chime-and-strikef trains by the time-train. In this view, the chime-and time-trains are shown as' ,outv of synchronism, the 'chime-train. being in the` positionV which calls for chiminzgr the4 full hour, While the star-wheel, representing the Vtime-traimis in theposition whichV calls for the chiming of the first quarterhour- Fig. 2 a similar view oftheclock in front elevation. Y

Figj' a view corresponding to Fig. 2, showing theV synchronization of the chimeandstril etrains,' the y chime-train having been warned and about tobe released for chiming the full hour. l Y y Fig. 4t a detached perspective view of the chime-'correcting unit.` l Fig. 5 a detachedplan viewof the spring` friction-washer employed with thesaid unit.

Fig. 6` a perspective view of they starwheel. n Y y Fig. 7 a detached plan view voi". the litting-lever ci the lock-work of the chime mechanism.' y V It is well lnown'that chime clocks Aare constantly `giving trouble,due to the failure, for one cause'or another, of their chime-y and time trains to y synchronize. Among the lcauses which destroy such `coordina-- tion, the setting forward and the setting backward ci theV hands or pointers are, perhaps, the commonest, though such clocks ,often have the synchro'nism ot their chimeand tiine-mechanisms dislocated the failure to windV them seasonably, thus permittingtheir timeme`chanist ns to continue e, 1922. sci-milio. 604,479.-

vto operate after their chime-mechanisms,

which require more power, have stopped.

hus, chime clocks roften become a source vof great inconvenience and confusion, due to the failureA of their mechanisms to synchronize, although their mechanisms as mechanisms, may each function perfectly. Much ingenuityV and effort have beenr expended in attempts to overcome the ditii-L culties above recited. y

My present invention relates to an improvement in chime clocks of the particus lar type shown and described inmy prior Patent, No. 1,406,511, dated February 1,4, 1922, and characterized by the employment of a frictionally-controlled, chime-correct-` ing unit moved into its guardpositionfor `preventing the chime from sounding by the chime-train, and liuto `its clearance position under theV control of the time-train and held by friction in its respective lpositi ons.

Y My present invention has orits object the production of a chime lclock of the type and specific character described, ata reducedv cost, without sacriiicing accuracy of performance. c f

With this end in vievv, my invention con' sistsin af chimeclock characterized byhaving a -frictionally-controlled,` chime-correcting unit or' lock-work and comprising'V a rockingr arbor mounted in plates .of the movement and carrying a guard wire and a guard-operating wird-and combined with a friction-memberior `holding it in its respective 2f ,ruard and clearance positions.

Nly invention further consists in a chimeclock of the character described, having certainv details of construction as will be hereinafter described and pointed out' in theclaims. v v

In .carrying out my invention, as herein shown. my invention is embodicdin achimef clock having' a kfront movement-plate 10, an intermediate.movement-plate 11 and a rear movement-plate 12, united and spacedapart in the usual manner by pillaizsl and providing a front,train-space14,` in which the time-and strike-trains are located, and a rear train-space 15 in which the chime-train .and other features of the chime-mechanism arelocated. As shown, the time-andstrike trains, which may be oi: any, standard conw` struction, have Vbeen omitted as unnecessary for the disclosure et my inventiony and for clarity. with the excepticr of the center# arbor 'tti ot the ti1nc-train, and the chimercleasing star-wheel 1.7, which is mounted on the said arbor itor rotation therewith, and which is the operatingu connection beitwcen the time-train and the chime-train.

I would have it understood, however7 that my present invention is also applicable to two platti-movements.

As herein shown, iny :t'rictionally-controlled, Chime-correctingiA unit ctmsists ot a rockingairbor i8 journaled at its ends in the intermediate moven1ent-plate ll and rear moVen'ient-plate l2 and carrying a wire guard 19 and a guaril-operating wire 2t). :l spring itriction-washer 2l interposed between a shoulder on the rear end ot the arbor 1S and the rear movement-plate l2 provides tor the friction required for sustaining the unit in either oit its two positions, i. e., its guard position and its clearance position.

The wire guard 19 of the unit is bent rearwardly and flattened to itorm a guarifl-tinger 22, which is moved into and out ot the path of a guard-pin 23 located in the fourth wheel 24 of the chime-train, which may be of any approved construction. The guard-operat ing wire 2() ot the unit is formed at its lower end with an Vupwardly-inclined hook 25 coacting with a chime-correcting pin 26 in a chime-count disk 27 on the arbor 28 ot the third wheel 29 of the chime-train. The rocking-arbor 18 also carries a short upstandingr wire 30 having its upper end bent torwardl y to torni a linger 3l extendinginto a. small hole 32 in the plate 11 and engaging;- with the opposite walls thereof to limit the rockingl movement of the arbor 't8 and hence the movement oit the wires 19 and 2O carried thereby. rllhe chime-eorrecting unit thus described operates in conjunction with the lock-work ot the chime-meohanism, which il; is unnecessary to describe in detail, except insofar as such co-action is concerned.

As showin the lock-worm o'l the chimemcchanisin comprises a rocking-a-rlior 32 located below the rocking-arbor 'i8 and similarly journaled at its ends in the plates ll and l2, The said arbor 33, which.y itor conveuience7 may be called the wa ming-arbor, farries at its inner end a wire warning-lunch 34. the upturned end 35 of which cofacts with a warning-pin 3G in the litth wheel S7 olz the chime-train` the said wheel i beine' mounted upon the ti'tth wheel sha-'tt 38 thereof. The said sha't't 3S also mounts a chimelockingr disk 39 having a locking-notch t() entered by the upturned end 4l ot a lockingwirc -t2 mounted upon a rocking count-hook arbor 4t2- ionrualed between the plates Yil and l2 and carrying a wire count-hook tl`v nthe lower end ot which is bent forwardly to 'l'oi'm a finger t5 successively entering the tour notches it-G of the count-wheel 27. These notches Gare ditlierentiallyv spaced to divide the periphery ot the said wheel 27 into tour dwells upon which the linger rides duringr the chiming ot' the clock, these dwells consisting of the quarter-hour dwell 47, the halt-hour dwell d8, the three-quarter hour dwell -t9 and the 'toll-hour dwell 5t). rl`he Ycount-hook -t-l is lifted out ot engagement with the said notches {it} in the count-wheel 27 tor releasing the same, by means ol` the it(irwardly-bent end 5l olt a lifting-wire 52 mounted in the warnii'lgr-arbor i525. Huch lifting' ot the count-hook -l-l, by the wire 52 not only raises the end t5 of the count-hook et- Out of the particular notch il-( ot the count-wheel 27 with which it may be engaged at any given time, but also depresses the locking-wire 42, so as to discngage its end i,t1 from the locking-notch l() in the locking-disk 'alioresaith whereby the chimetrain is unlocked tor the warningr ol the chime-train7 which, tor this warning purpose, starts up andy runs until the warningpin 3G in the fifth wheel 37 has been brought into engagement with the warning-hook 35, which was lifted into the path ot' the said pin approximately concurrently with the unlocking of the train by the depression o't the locking-wire42 and the lifting ot' the counthook 44 out of one of the notches 4G in the count-wheel 27 by the action ol the litt-ingwire 52. The above described action is common in clocks ot' this type, the warningy of 'the mechanism closely preceding the unlocking ot the train. For rocking the warningarbor 33 to raise the litting-wirc 52 to etl'ect the warning ot `the mechanisni` as ahorn dcscribeth the said arbor is provided with a sheet-metal lifting-lever 53 secured to the ilorward end olf the arbor and e\temlin r into position to co-act; withl the teeth oll the star-wheel` t7 mounted upon the center arbor lli. This star-wheel is formed with Vtout' equidistant teeth 5,5,"56l and .'37 rcspeirtiif'ely correspoiidine' to the (guai-tor hour, hait hour., three-quarter hour` and tull hour chiming periods` the tooth 57 heini; made longer than the other three teeth. sothat once an hour. in addition to unlocking and warning the chime-train, it. will perform the additional function ol oilierating the chime-correcting unit. as will be hei-cina titer described.

flaringnow dcsitribi-id my inrcntioni'l will iinoceed to set torth the mode ol operation thereof. y

ln its nm'maloperation, the clock chimes every quarter hour, the chiine-correctingr nnit. constituting'the salient 'tcature ot my present invention, remaining entirely inactive with the exception that just'lw'l'ore the chime-train completes chimino' on the third quarter oit the hour, the pin 2G in the countwheel 27 engages the upturned end 25ct the guard-operating hook 20, thus depressingr the guard-linger 22 of the Quardlf) into the path of the guard-pin 23 inthe 'fourth wheel llt) `ofthe star-Wheel 17 j-Will be brought into play, with the effect of ivarning thechiine- Y .train in the saineV 'inannerui'n rwhich lit is warned by the three shorterfteeth 54,55 and 56 ofthe said Wheel. 'More than this, and on account of the extra Vlength ofthe tooth 57', it lifts the lever 53, cnoughmore than thesamefis li'ft'edlby the said shorter teeth of the'wheel to additionally lift vthe lever 52 enough to cause the samevto lift the guard 19 sufficientlyto lift itsifinger 22 out of the path ofthe guard-'pin 23, against the tension of the friction-spring 21. Noiv, when the saidV lever 53 drops oi the long tooth 57 of the star-Wheel 17, the chime-trainvstarts and chimes thehour. This cycle lof operations is repeated so'longas the -timeand chime-mechanisms fare in consonance,` the chime-correcting unit being idly moved against the tensionof its friction spring into its guard position at the completion of the' chiming on the third quarter of the hour,V

and returned against the tension of its friction spring, into its clearance position near the conclusion of the next quarter-hour` period.

On the other hand, supposing that the time-'and chime-mechanisms have been dislocated or asynchronized for one reason or other, it does not matter what, so that the quarter-hour chiming` does not correspond to the quarter-hour periods indicated by the time-mechanism, it may be assumed that the chime-mechanism has fallen out of synchro- Ynism With the 'time-mechanism, as illusstrated in Figs. l and 2, in which the star- Wlieel 17, which represents the time-train, is shown in the position calling for chiinin'g the uarter hour. Whereas, the count-Wheel ot t e chime-mechanism is in the positiony for next chiming the tull hour. In this situation, the guard of the time-correcting unit is necessarily in its guarding position,` with its guard Vfinger 22 in the path of the guardpin'23 in the fourth Wheel 24 of the chimeinechaiiisni, so that when the time-mecha- V`iiisin operates on the hour to release the chime-mechanism, the same is thus re-V strained by the guard finger of tlie guard, which remains in this position of preventing the operation of the chime-train until the time-train has. so to speak, caught up With the chime-train and brought the long tooth 57 of the star-Wheel 17 into play y'for effecting the lifting, through an extraliftiiig ofthe levers and 52 of the guard 19, against the friction of its spring 21, into its `clearance position, in which its vfinger 22 is out of the path of the guard-pin 23 in the fourth wheel 24 of the chime-train, as indicated in Fig. 3. When now the lever 53 drops o" the long tooth 57 of the Wheel 17 the chime-mechanism will be released for Chrcmifzed', aftersvhich, Without any `action ychiining nthe hour, andthe chinieandutiniel mecliaiiism, having 'thus been synchronized,

will continue toV actjeo-'ordinately until they are,` through accidenter carelessness, asynon thel part of thel user oi. the clock, but en` ,tirely automatically,ftheyivill be i'e-synchroni'z'ed, or4V 're-co-ordinated ron the hour, as above described. It ivill thus be seen that with my improved chime-correcting unit, the `chime mayr `conceivably be sounded three successive tiniesiout ofconsoiiance with the timeindicated.bytheliands of the clock, but'no more, depending upon the time within tlie hour When the chime-train and the timetraindfell out, ofpsynchronis'm, but, in any event', thehour cannot be chimed out of time. ln the clock structure herein' shovvmul have chosen and preferablychoose to automatically re-synchronize tliefchimeand timemeclianisms on the hour, but, if preferred,

`the clock may beset Without any change et f principle or structure to re-synchronize the Vchiineand time-mechanisms on theV first,

second or third quarters of the hour, this being done by merely changing the position of the star-wheel on the center arbor With a corresponding 11e-positioning of the pin 26 in the count-Wheel 27.

I claim:

1. 'A chime clock having timeand chimetrains, and a frictionally-controlled chimecorrecting unit moved into its guard position for preventing the chime from sounding by the chime-train, and into its clearance position under the control of the time-train, the said unit coii'iprising a rocking-arbor journaled at its `ends in plates vot the movement and carrying a guard-member and a guardoperating member mounted upon it between its ends, so as to be Vpositioned between the plates in which they are journaled for co-action, respectively. With the chime and time vtrains of the clock.

2. A chime clock having timeand chimetrains, and a frictionally-controlled chimecorrecting'unit moved into its guard position 'by the chime-train tor preventing the chime from sounding, and into its clearance position under the control of the time-train, the said unit comprising a rocking-arbor journaled at its respective ends in plates of the movement and carrying a wire-guard and a. guard-operating wire mounted upon itv between its ends so as to be positionedbetiveen the said plates for co-action. respectively, With the chime and time trains ot the clock. f

3. i A chime clock having tiineand chimetrains, a, frictionally-controlled chime-correcting unit consisting of a rocking-arbor journaled in plates o'l the clock and having a Wire guard and a guard-operating Wire, a Warningarbor also iournaled between the said plates and provided with a lifting wire cio-actingr with the guard of the said unit7 a count-,hook arbor journaled between the said plates, and carrying' a counthook operated. by the said lifting-wire, a star-Wheel driven by theV tiniesxnechanisni and having an elongated tooth, and a ylifting' lever carried by the warning-arbor and operated by the long tooth of the star-wheel, whereby the said guard is moved Vinto -its guard position for preventing the chime from sounding by the chime-train, and into its clearance position :under the control of the time-train and held by friction in its respective positions.

4. In a chime clock, the combination with front, rear and intermediate Vmovementplates providing a train-space for `the timeand strike-trainsv` and amseparate space for thechime mechanism, a chime .mechanism-located in the Saidv chime inecl'ianisni space, and a frictionally-controllal, chime-correctingunit comprising an arbor journaled between the said intermediate and rear movement-plates, and carrying a wire j g'uard and a guard-operating wire, Vthe said unit being nioved into its guard position for preventing the chime from sounding by the chime-train and :into its clearance position under the control of the time-train and held by friction in its respective positions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence ot' two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK fEHINGER Witnesses:

K. E. MARSHALL, J. R. PUTNAM. 

